Fated Journey
by Split-Girl
Summary: In having twins, they say that one will be stronger, one will be weaker. Such is the case of the Sawada Twins Yoshitsune and Tsunayoshi and the latter was the dangerously weaker twin in health. In fear that they would lose her in a few years, she was left behind in an orphanage knowing nothing. However, the daughter has her fair share of adventures...Multiple Crossovers Fem!Tsuna
1. Chapter 1

The Daughter Left Behind

For as long as Sawada Tsunayoshi remembers...

She was in an orphanage in Tokyo...and she's weak. Very weak. She often has to sit down a lot, and unable to play with fellow children who get picked one by one...her peers come and go. Its an orphanage after all. But nobody would adopt her...and she's been to the hospital more times than she could count that unlike most kids, she was used to, and no longer afraid of needles. But these hospital trips made her so close to death that she was able to see ghosts...such as the ghost of a man claiming to be her ancestor, Sawada Ieyasu.

She learned the truth about her family from him.

She has a family in Namimori...but she was abandoned here because her parents could not bear to see her die before them, as she was dangerously weak in body she didn't even have past five years to live as predicted by doctors. Her twin younger brother didn't even know she existed.

However, right now she is six, still alive and surviving off of her Dying Will Flames and she didn't want to die...and her resolve to live kept her alive. Her resolve kept her flames stronger and kept her alive. Her flames and life force kept her alive but her body was still weak. Her utter dismay made her strongly wish hard that she wished she could find a way to have a strong body.

She would wander around Tokyo every after Kindergarten, guarded by her ancestor until one day...

'Ouch!' Tsuna looked up to her ancestor.

'Giotto-jiji, what's wrong?' Tsuna asked her ancestor who was rubbing his face.

'I hit something...but how can that be, I'm a ghost!' Giotto swore with a teary-eyed expression. 'Ow...'

'Yeah...that's really weird...' Tsuna frowned. 'I know my fair share of weird since you taught me some...maybe there's a barrier that ghosts can't go through!' she pointed out. 'Let's find the source!' so they searched for the source to find...an estate. And the gates are open.

'Uhhh...looks haunted...' Tsuna gulped.

'...something's calling...' said Giotto as he felt a presence beckoning him. 'And no wall on me this time.' they exchanged nervous looks before coming inside with Giotto leading her. They went inside the front door...to see a reception area and a couch where a woman awaited them. She a tall, thin woman with pale skin and long black hair down to the back of her knees. Her hair is cut in many layers having front bangs up to her eyebrows, then another layer, reaching up to her jaw, and a layer at her hips and a final one at her knees. She has red eyes, and wears a fancy kimono with matching accessories.

'Welcome to my shop.' she said. 'Only those with strong wishes can see this shop.'

'Y-you mean that barrier...?' Giotto gasped out. 'Hides this shop from the world?'

'Yes...' the woman spoke. 'Only those with true need of me can see and come. I am Ichihara Yuuko...and my shop sells wishes. Of course, I will charge a price.' Tsuna gulped at that.

'B-but we have no money, how can we pay you?' she stammered out nervously. The woman chuckled at that.

'No, dear. I have no use for money...I charge the equivalent exchange of your wish.' said Yuuko. 'Equal proportion. No more, no less or someone will get hurt.' she smiled mysteriously. 'And only those fated to come here...will definitely come. One way or another, some time in the future...but their feet will lead them here due to their strongest wishes from the depths of their hearts...and what is your name dear?'

'Erm...Sawada Tsunayoshi.' said Tsuna. 'But Giotto-jiichan calls me Tsuna.'

'And what is your wish?' Tsuna swallowed before shaking. Her wish was always...!

'I...I want to have a healthy body...so I could be like other children my age.' said Tsuna. 'I've had about 288 hospital visits since I was a baby...and I was abandoned at the orphanage here in Tokyo since my parents couldn't bear to keep a dying kid who won't live past five...but I'm six now! That's saying something!' she cried. 'But this body...I hate it! I want to be healthy!' she then gasped and began having another 'attack'.

'Tsuna!' Giotto gasped as he looked desperately at Yuuko. 'An ambulance, hurry! She needs a doctor!' Yuuko went to kneel down to touch Tsuna and the attacks stopped. 'Wha-?'

'...A healthy body eh?' Yuuko chuckled. 'And you carry quite the fate on your back, further increasing my charge.' she said, noticing it in Tsuna's soul and her power made her see similar futures. 'For a healthy body for you to shoulder the fate you carry...I require an equal price.' she said. 'You are to gather six friends who will help you.' she told her. 'They will be your destiny just as you are theirs...your feet will lead you to them and you will save many parallel worlds as you go.' she smirked. 'Giotto, is it?' she asked, looking at Giotto.

'Hai...'

'Train your descendant well...I will assist you by giving you the power to help Tsuna go from country to country and come and go to places Tsuna desires for her needs...and you have to stay together for it to work.' said Yuuko as she gave Giotto a ghostly scepter which he took. 'Although I wonder, why are you here so long?'

'Well, I nor my guardians can pass on.' said Giotto. 'For we are avatars of our real souls, holding a copy of our memories, thoughts, ideals and feelings and we appear as we are in our prime even though we died older than we looked.' he said in amusement. 'Our hours are carved into seven special rings...passing on our form to the next generation who shares our feelings and we would do what the real us would do. The rings are in Italy though. Our souls probably passed on.' he said with a shrug.

'I see...so you are a unique case...train your descendant well...for the price she will pay will come in the future...and you would know when the time comes.' said Yuuko. 'I bid you good luck.' and magically, they are out of the house.

'OK Tsuna...back to the orphanage.' said Giotto. 'And pack some change of clothes. Because there's no telling where to go because your feet will lead us to them while I train and educate you.'

'Hai, jiichan!' Tsuna chimed. 'Looks like we're gonna go on an adventure like it happens in fairy tales!' Giotto shuddered at that.

'If only our journey can be as easy as a fairy tale...' he sighed.

xxx

Orphanage...Tsuna used her school bag to pack two spare changes of clothes, and a pair of shoes which she put in a plastic bag. '...I wonder what am I gonna say to the orphanage matron...I'm supposed to disappear from here while we work on my pay.' Tsuna mused thoughtfully.

'Well, common knowledge is you'll die young...so why not leave a letter?' Giotto suggested. 'I'll help you word it because being frank will induce hysteria...'

'OK.' Tsuna took out a notebook and a pencil from her study table as she began writing what Giotto dictated.

**The time has come for me**  
><strong>to fly to, and become one<strong>  
><strong>with the sky where I can be<strong>  
><strong>free as a cloud and free from<strong>  
><strong>my ties to the earth.<strong>

**-Tsuna**

'This poem sounds weird, ojiichan.' Tsuna huffed. The poem sounded weird to her.

'Well, its a poem that says you're going to die on your own terms.' said Giotto sadly. 'To everyone who knows you, you're dead at age 6 and you chose to die somewhere. Let's go.' and they left the orphanage together for their destiny.

It took until dinnertime for the orphanage caretakers to notice she's gone when she never came down when called seven times...


	2. The Bitter Illusion

The Bitter Illusion

Italy...

Giotto used his scepter to get to Italy in a blink, appearing in the borders, in Gorizia.

Here, they stayed and trained for two years in fighting, and teaching Tsuna how to use her Sky Flames, teaching her many ways to Synchronize, Assimilate, Petrify and Freeze...but without a ring and considering her age, she could only do small tricks, so the main focus were her survival and combat skills, as well as physical training...and learning English and Italian while learning Street Smarts.

Tsuna would often dress like a boy even if she kept her hair long.

But she maintains her Hyper Dying Will Mode as part of her training to get used to it and be in a constantly active state just like Giotto. And as they have no money...as much as Giotto disliked the deed, they pickpocket off rich people with money to last them several days just so Tsuna eats healthy.

One day, she felt the need to travel again...and for many days and nights, rain or shine, they journeyed to the center of Italy, to the mountains...

There's a small city there at the foot of the mountains.

'OK, what will we do here, Tsuna?' Giotto asked his young descendant.

'...it depends on what my fate is in this place, grandpa.' said Tsuna. 'I feel that...my world will be shaken as soon as I get in here.' she said as she touched the gates that soon became petrified and petrification spread, before she kicked it, smashing her way in.

'Well, that's what I feel too but no matter what, do not break, OK?' Giotto warned her gently. 'There are things in this world that can break even the strongest man or woman...and I don't mean physically.' he said.

'Aa. You told me how the Mafia works when you observed the generations throughout the years...and to think Vongola started out as a Vigilante.' Tsuna sighed. 'Things started well and ended wrong.'

'Well, sometimes things don't work the way we planned it to.' Giotto sighed gloomily as they made their way in...and when Mafia Men walked around...

'Hey, who are you?'

'It's just a kid, we could use another guinea pig since we're running out of them...' Tsuna's eyes narrowed and next thing Giotto knew, his descendant flew forward using propulsion on her feet, jumped, and grabbed their heads, petrifying them.

'Jiichan, did you hear what they just said?!' Tsuna swore. 'One of my destineds is here!' she cried in alarm.

'Guinea pigs...I don't like the sound of that either.' Giotto put his hands on her shoulders and she went through walls like a ghost, until they came to a laboratory where they saw a young boy that looked exhausted and just finished surgery.

Tsuna let loose, petrifying them all, and freed the boy from the straps on the gurney that he lied on. 'Hey, are you OK?' she asked him. 'You'll be alright, they'll never touch a child ever again!' she swore. 'Stay here for a bit, I need to destroy the computers and security...'

The boy watched her weakly as everything she touches, turns to stone.

His left eye widened in amazement as she then smashed the computers and equipment with a chair. Those things that tormented them for years, now useless rocks. And so are the scientists who are now statues with expressions of fear and horror that they were turning to stone.

He smirked maliciously and kicked the ones he could reach, and watched them shatter in glee.

'...someone's having fun.' Tsuna chuckled. 'I'm Tsuna Sawada.' she introduced herself. 'Who are you?'

'...Mukuro Rokudo.' said Mukuro. 'Who are you and how did you know of this place?'

'Destiny.' said Tsuna. 'Destiny and Fate leads me to where I go...and lead me to family.' she said as she helped him up. 'You don't look too good...'

'...I've seen life and death six times...and each time I 'die' and be 'reborn', they carve everything into my memories...while I'm awake and I can feel everything.' Mukuro chuckled bitterly. 'No, I'm not OK.' he said sarcastically.

'Well...let's go find survivors...if children we free them. If a Mafioso I'll just turn them into statues.' said Tsuna cheerfully.

'Tsuna, how can you say such scary things?!' Giotto gasped out, a little freaked out by what his descendant is saying.

'Grandpa these men shouldn't be allowed to live.' Mukuro wondered who the heck is she talking to because they're ALONE in the halls. 'They could experiment on children without remorse, I fear for the next batch. By killing them, future victims are safe at home somewhere.' she grunted. 'They're mafia scientists so its easy for them to kidnap unguarded children off the streets!'

'...who're you talking to?' Mukuro asked her, perplexed if his companion is a weirdo...

'My ancestor.' said Tsuna. 'He's watched over ten generations for four centuries and I'm the tenth. And because I had a weak body in the past and close to death so many times until I met Yuuko-san who fixed me, I could see ghosts...and since grandpa is always with me, I was never alone.' she said with a smile. 'You'll have to put up with what I did if you want the same power but let me tell you this...it hurts like hell and I endured over two-hundred hospital visits in Tokyo before I went to Italy with him.' Mukuro and Giotto sweatdropped at how casually she could say so.

'...fixed you?' Mukuro frowned.

'Yuuko is a sorceress.' said Tsuna. 'Her Wishing Shop only appears to those who truly need her...and she charges equivalent to the price of the wish asked for. I saw her last in Tokyo when I was six.' she said. 'While fixing my body is cheap since she healed me with one touch, the fate in my soul caused her to charge me big...and I'm working on it right now.' Mukuro did not quite expect that. 'I'm finding family members, we grow strong together, and face the destiny we're supposed to win against that she foresaw in my soul. And we have to win...or we'll lose everything.' she sighed. 'She didn't say who my family will be. Just that my feet will lead me to them. On times like those, I have no control over my own feet. Its like something possesses my feet and walk nonstop. And my 'possessed feet' led me to you.' she chuckled. 'While I'm happy to find family, walking for miles nonstop is no fun at all and I can only stop if I really need the loo, if I'm so dead-tired I can't go on and at night when I need to sleep.'

'...haaa...' Mukuro's visible eye twitched, and slack-jawed as he could IMAGINE that kind of life. 'So you and your...guardian doing all this alone?'

'Nah, we have help.' said Tsuna. 'Because its impossible for a kid and a ghost to work to fight against our crappy future, she gave grandpa a scepter that allows us to travel to places, go get my needs since I'm too young to work for money and when he touches me on my shoulders, I can go through anything like a ghost!' she chimed. 'Grandpa let's show him?' she giggled. Nothing changed on her...until she shoved her hand into a wall and...whoa!

His eye bulged.

'See? I'm a temporary ghost! Nobody can kill me with any weapon as long as grandpa's with me!'

xxx

Upon finding more kids...two of them to be exact...they left the facility after asking them to lead Tsuna to any more rooms with computers and equipment for her to destroy, and anyone else that needed killing. Soon...

'We're free, I can't believe it...' Chikusa Kakimoto gasped out as they stepped beyond the facility where it's sunny and they saw the blue sky. Since the experiments began, none of the kids saw the blue sky or seasons pass by ever again. They no longer saw the blue sky, cloudy sky, rainy sky, the night sky and fireworks every New Year's Eve. They no longer saw nature nor snow. They were no longer children of their parents and relatives. For them, coming out was all too surreal.

This all began when they were six, and she, four years old. The Estraneo created the Possession Bullet that the Mafia Community deemed heinous and brutal that everyone saw them as a threat, and persecution began. The desperate family sought to create special human weapons to restore their fallen glory as revenge through their own children. As months and years go by, the children would watch their cousins and siblings scream until death until its their turn to suffer. That tale sent chills down the two Sawadas. And since there's three boys left, the Estraneo snatching children off the streets wasn't such a farfetched idea.

'No more experiments too...' said Ken Joshima with a blissful sigh. 'No more screaming, no more crappy adults and no more food fit for a dog!'

'...what will you two do from now on?' Mukuro asked them. 'I have to go with her.'

'...we'll do what we want to do. That's freedom isn't it?' Ken groused out.

'Well, being free is good and all but don't cause too much trouble...particularly heinous crimes against the Mafia that the Mafia Community as a whole wanted you dealt with because if the situation got THAT bad...your future is Vendicare Prison under the guard of the Vindice...and you'll never see the light of day ever again...only, worse as not only will you be in a dark prison, you'll be sharing it with other heinous criminals. And the Vindice are monsters not even the most powerful mafia had the balls to face.' she said seriously. 'You would know its them if they all have black cloaks, bandages all over and over nine feet tall with a non-human presence about them.' she said grimly. 'That organization is as old as Mafia's History itself. If you truly value freedom, don't ever have the attention of the Vindice.' the two other boys nodded.

With that, they parted ways.

'So what will we do now?' Mukuro asked her as they began to travel again.

'...we get you new clothes with some money we stole, get you to a nice bath, then I'll treat you out to tasty food!' Tsuna chirped. 'We need you to heal and recover before training can begin. We'll also work on finding new family members.'

xxx

As days passed by for Mukuro to recover in a hotel with Giotto supplying the money, Tsuna took great care of Mukuro, attending to his needs such as checking over his physical condition, and ordering Room Service comprising of 'healthy foods for severe case of malnutrition' and she's willing to pay big money for her orders 'through a relative'...as Tsuna told him the History of Vongola that Giotto hopes the tenth generation could bring back. How it started...how it ended...and then from Vigilante Protectors to Mafia through betrayal that Giotto created CEDEF to be led by Alaude as a safety mechanism to preserve Vongola's ideals in some way, and he split the rings into two. The half possessed by Vongola, and the other half possessed by CEDEF. He and his guardians watched while 'carving' their hours into the rings and Tsuna wanted to fulfill her ancestor's wish as he was the only one in the family who cared for her and stayed with her. She didn't want to be boss though as she believed she wasn't fit to be boss...but rather, she wanted to be the 'Heart' that preserves Giotto's wishes and ideals to support a Leader who would have the leadership ability to bring back the 'true Vongola'.

Before, his life was fit for a dog, denied of human rights as a child since persecution began, when his own parents were killed by the persecution and his relatives began the experimentations. He sleeps on a cot, fed the bare minimum of scraps to live so they're not strong enough to escape, sleeping in cold cells that came with a toilet and a bucket of water, and baths comprised of 'being hosed down' with cold water and told to wipe themselves dry.

Now?

Mukuro got to sleep on a beautiful room, a soft warm bed, eat delicious food, warm baths, massages where it ached and a cute nurse in the form of his strange friend who also tried to distract him from his pain by talking to him, and making him watch family-friendly and comedy videos with her and he appreciated all she was doing. Apparently, Mukuro's personal hell also got him instant education through Language in both English, Italian and his native Japanese tongue, and things a 'weapon' should know such as Combat Skills, Assassination Skills, Stealth, Bomb-Disposal, Medical Skills, Pharmaceuticals-for Poison Compounding, Lockpicking, Escape Skills, Hacking, Weaponry, and he awoke to psychic abilities as an Illusionist. But he didn't know what it is. And he lacked physical training too, so what use are some of those?

'Illusionist eh?' Tsuna spoke for Giotto and she told Mukuro that beforehand. 'It reminds me of Daemon Spade.'

'Daemon Spade?' Mukuro repeated. Wasn't that the guy who started the destruction of Vongola? Yet how can this guy forgive that?

'Yes. I met him through an Aristocrat Lady who was also his fiancée...and she liked the Vigilante group I built since my era was full of corruption and crime, and innocents often take the fall.' said Giotto sadly. 'She persuaded him to join me and our cause to protect the people. He became an Illusionist and create objects, scenarios and tricks he likes that can mess with the mind. And if one believed the illusion for even a second, it will cause a psychosomatic reaction on the body. Say for example, you created fire so hot and fired it at someone who could not run on time. That someone would believe he would be burned to death, that the illusion that gripped on his five senses will lead the brain to make the body believe he is really burned to death. Burnt flesh and everything.' he shuddered. 'He was the last to join me as my last Guardian. He grew to like illusions so much that he described it as lies within truth, truth within lies in a world of his own making. That is the Mist.'

It took Mukuro half a year to recover before they left the hotel. They stayed the next half to start him on physical training, training on the skills gained and accessible by his Six Paths, and accessing his mist flames to be able to create Real Illusions while Tsuna continued sparring with Giotto...before Tsuna began sparring with Mukuro to train him after he did physical training...when one day, while resting after a spar, her feet began to tingle.

'Uh-oh...its starting...' Tsuna groaned. 'Time for us to find a new family member after today...we better rest up this whole day.' she said. 'Mukuro, the reason why your menu has been tripled was to prepare you to have enough stamina to walk for several hours and miles. When I'm in possessed feet mode, we can never use public transport because I can't control myself! We'll eat and drink while we walk!'

'...I can already imagine.' Mukuro remarked dryly. He braced himself for one hellish journey that was tomorrow.


	3. The Disillusioned Storm

The Disillusioned Storm

Mukuro...

Thought he should redefine hell in a comical manner...while walking with a walking stick while Tsuna, having done this for several weeks before finding him, was used to the long walks and did not need any.

And that, was while wearing cloaks and wide-brimmed hats even in sunny weather just to avoid sunburn. But under those things? They sweat BUCKETS that they frequently drink water when they had the chance. Preferably cold. They were hot outside, they wanted to be cold INside

His feet are tired and PROTESTING by how weary they are and it was just...three hours?

Well, its no wonder why Tsuna wanted to buy comfortable travel boots for him even if it was against his fashion sense that can withstand countrysides and bodies of water. They tend to walk on shallow rivers, brooks and streams crossing them too, nevermind tall and sometimes, itchy grass and bugs that their legs are protected from.

This...TORTURE only ends in nighttime, around seven o'clock wherein all they wanted to do, was sleep in a nice hotel. They had dinner on the road anyway.

Giotto watched at the two children he's supporting with money and food.

This journey will surely be rough on them for sure. Really now, cursed feet that would lead them to the next Guardian until they pass out?

'Well, in a way this is training. Spartan Training.' said Giotto gloomily as he too, rested. Floating around all day long.

Day and night...it took them three months, until they arrived in front of a town at night.

'...where the heck are we now?' Mukuro griped as they arrived at the town a year older. Mukuro is eleven-something, Tsuna is about nine-and-two months.

'He's coming.' said Tsuna. 'I can feel it.' she grinned. 'Be patient and this is the last brother here. The rest, we'll go to Japan for everyone else!'

'Is that your instinct speaking?' Mukuro asked her. He's just glad that he didn't have to walk for miles upon miles anymore dammit.

'Yeah. Grandpa's scepter is no longer making signals.' Tsuna giggled. 'Then we continue training in here.'

They waited...until a young boy with silver hair came out, carrying a camping bag. His expression is that of utter bitterness to the world.

'Is that him?' Giotto asked Tsuna.

'Yes grandpa, its him.' said Tsuna. 'Make us invisible with illusions. All three of us, Mukuro.' she instructed. 'Time to take our brother with us.' they waited until they were a distance away, until they approached the boy.

'Hello.' Tsuna greeted as the boy turned around to see them.

xxx

Gokudera Hayato, age 10.

He is 3/4 Italian and 1/4 Japanese, but he took on more of his mother's features that mixed well with his Italian blood so he was quite the looker.

For many years he believed that he and his sister has the same mother as they were born into an affluent family allied to Vongola. But on his recent birthday...he learned the truth. That he's an illegitimate child and his piano teacher is his real mother and she wasn't treated very well whenever she comes. It was to hide who she was to him as according to Mafia Law, he was taken away from his mother shortly after birth and made to believe a façade he lived with for nearly ten years, and she was only allowed to see him three times in one year. He thought she was just someone who was nice to him and liked the piano a lot.

She told him that he has soft hands, good for playing the piano...and her beautiful smile motivated him into playing the piano for her and when she comes, he would impress her with his polished skills as he worked hard on his performances. He looked forward to her coming because she was warm and comfortable to him. He should have noticed the signs! That, and they have...the same looks! How can he be so blind? The fact that he was a toddler was no excuse, he was a damn genius! He could talk straight at age two, learn quickly and it was the reason why he has several tutors! Letting such an important piece of his life bypass him was something he never forgave himself for. The fact that he never noticed that she was his mother. His beautiful kind mother who said he has soft, beautiful hands and a good heart.

He did research on her. She who never told him her name, was Lavina Gokudera, a half-Japanese, half-Italian woman, a talented beginner Pianist yet due to her beauty, personality and skill, she was starting to become famous. However, her misfortune was meeting his father but she still tried her best, performing where she could for income after gathering information on his own. Hayato took on her surname out of her memory and his love for her.

But five days before his third birthday...she was 'taken out'. Her car mysteriously fell off the road at an impossible place, and no signs of her having used the brakes.

He learned the truth from gossiping maids...on the day his mother died when he was eight.

He and his sister Bianchi are actually half siblings, born by different mothers. Bianchi's mother was married to their father, while he was of illegitimate birth which was illegal in the mafia world in regards to bosses and their marriages as this would create conflict in inheriting the family.

The truth shocked him and as days passed by, he grew bitter and resentful that all this was kept from him. That he lived a lie and he believed that lie. The 'lady' who was his motivation was his mother was taken away from him. He never got to know her and they didn't get to love each other like family should.

He also grew afraid on what his father might do to him now that he knew the truth. Would he be killed too?

So he ran away.

He abandoned the piano despite his great talent and instead decided to join the Mafia outside his family. Unfortunately, since he was considered to be a mere musician, no one wanted to accept him into their family; the fact that he was an oriental half-breed lessened his chances of finding a willing Mafia Family to take him in. This increased his resentment, thinking that his father planned all this...

Until one night...

He met them. His fellow Japanese who dressed in travel clothes.

'Hello.' the kind-looking cute girl greeted him. With her is a tall, slender boy with a pineapple haircut. 'Do you want to join us? We're looking for kids our age who would join us and someday, we'll be our own power. Our own Mafia Family.'

'Your own...Mafia Family?' Hayato asked them skeptically.

'Yup. Families have to start somewhere...Core Founding Members for one...and we have to be stronger. Stronger than anyone.' the girl smiled. 'Will you be a core with us?'

Indeed, Mafia Families HAD to start SOMEWHERE. They didn't pop up like mushrooms overnight in full-power after all. And if you can't join anyone, make one yourself!

And he felt hopeful that he now has somewhere to belong.

She felt warm and welcoming...like even someone like him, a half-breed was welcome and belonged somewhere.

He would follow this person anywhere!

xxx

Mukuro made his way into Hayato's mind, checking his background.

He found the bitter, disillusioned boy a fun read.

His life started out well, happy and carefree...until his world shattered at age eight. He grew bitter, resentful and heartbroken from betrayal and the fact that he was shunned by many families, believing his father pulled all stops. And when Tsuna invited him...he felt hope for the first time since running.

Well, Tsuna has the ability to charm anyone to her side. Heck, he followed her even though he hated the mafia...and he only relented because it was Vongola. HER Vongola. There's no way in heck he'd follow the currently-existing organization!

xxx

'So you're Tsunayoshi Sawada and Mukuro Rokudo? I'm Hayato Gokudera.' said Hayato. 'So what are we doing until we're powerful enough?'

'Training.' said Tsuna. 'You look kinda thin so getting you healthy is a good start before we actually work on it.' she said as she looked at him observantly. 'Our health is important and our top priority.'

'Well, she'll be babying you for a few months.' Mukuro chuckled with a playful yet sarcastic smile. 'I would know. I lived a life of luxury until I was completely healthy myself.'

'Hah...?' Hayato blinked owlishly. Lap of luxury when they didn't look rich at all...?

'Fufufu...you'll see.'

xxx

High-Class Hotel somewhere, first-class suite...

'HAAAAAA?!' Hayato shrieked out as all of a sudden, they're in a place like this?! 'S-since when?!'

'We always have money thanks to grandpa.' said Tsuna with a smile. 'And let's tell each other about ourselves. We're to be family after all.' she said. 'Mukuro and I know each other and we've been together for a year and some months now.' she told Hayato who gulped. Telling each other their pasts when he was still...sore about it?

'I know hers and she discovered mine when she saved me and my cousins.' said Mukuro, and the memory of his past prior-Tsuna made him stew in his hatred towards Mafia and he still has yet to accept that all mafia aren't like the Estraneo. And she freed him and took care of him, and gave him the training to utilize his powers and skills. But he did NOT want what came with his Six Paths...all those lives while maintaining his identity as 'Mukuro' was a bitch to handle. There were times he nearly forgot himself and she would hold him in comfort, telling him to focus on their bond as family and friends. Be stronger than any of his other 'personalities'. He is Mukuro and no one else.

'...saved you?'

'Yes...she saved me...and still continues to do so...fufufufu...' Mukuro chuckled. 'We know not your background...but we're far worse.'

Tsuna and Giotto mentally raised eyebrows. Mukuro KNEW something about Hayato that they didn't, and he implied it. Well, he's their psychic after all.

'Let's rest first...we have had a long journey and I already ordered Room Service.' Tsuna smiled as she put down the phone.

It was then that Hayato learned about the pasts of his two new friends.

His past was nothing compared to theirs. Tsuna was abandoned all alone because of her weak body that she was thought didn't have long to live because of the superstition-gone-true about bearing twins. She was the older twin yet she was weaker to her younger twin brother in health. If not for her near-death moments as a child, she wouldn't have gained her psychic powers to see ghosts and discover family through Vongola's Founder, Giotto who was more of a parent to her than anyone else. Because she has family who cares, she refused to die and awakened her Flames...and they met a powerful sorceress who gave her a healthy body in return for a big price...and what came with it.

Mukuro was from the persecuted Estraneo Family who began using their own children as test subjects in the hopes to develop human bioweapons to gain revenge. There were three boys left so kidnapping children was in the near future and Tsuna killed them all, and rescued Mukuro and his two cousins who set out on their own to 'redefine' freedom. He has...issues with his six other 'past lives' that constantly conflict with his 'true self' as Mukuro and suffers nearly-losing himself to them, so he works on training his Six Paths to be worthy of an equivalent exchange to pay just to get these six lives out of him since it was the only valuable thing he has on him.

Then there's the resident ghost, the frigging founder of Vongola, Giotto!

Hayato really felt his past and pain really dwarfed theirs. Tiny in comparison to their bigger skeletons. But for Tsuna who never knew her parents, didn't see it that way and said he should be glad he got to know them. A mother's love and warmth was something she sometimes longed for as she already has a father and grandfather in Giotto. All she knew was that she and her twin resembled their mother.

Then for six months, Hayato was forced to eat food enough for two people in one sitting. Fruits by breakfast, Seafood and Meat by Lunch, Vegetables at Dinner. Tsuna goes as far as purchasing vitamin supplements from a nearby drugstore...before training began in the mountains. It was where they stayed until Mukuro was 13, Hayato 12 and Tsuna, 11. Mukuro mastered his Six Paths and getting used to big power drains, Hayato was getting the hang of using his flames while getting better in combat, and Tsuna mastered her abilities. Hayato and Tsuna also learned things from Mukuro's 'implanted knowledge'.

They then became Mercenaries to gain fighting and gained notoriety for a year under code name Triade di Fuoco. All of them gained infamy for their successes with Tsuna as Angela Dorata, Hayato as Cremisi Distruttore, and Mukuro as Incantevole Mago based on their abilities, under Mukuro's illusion as their adult selves. Upon getting satisfied and officially retired as they just wanted fame while 'having fun and earning at the same time', they went back to Japan, Tokyo.

Their purpose?

Seeing Yuuko.


	4. Youkai in Tokyo! Tournament Invitation

Youkai in Tokyo! Tournament Invitation

Tokyo, through a Leap in Space...

'Ohya, I was expecting you kids.' Mukuro and Hayato saw Yuuko for the first time. The Sorceress that Tsuna encountered. That, and the boys were able to see Giotto's ghost in the shop.

'You've been watching.' said Tsuna wryly as Yuuko smiled mysteriously. 'So that means...you know what we wanted this time, Yuuko-san.' she said.

'I know...' Yuuko's eyes fell on Mukuro. 'Your...six past lives in exchange for the powers of your right eye and maintaining your identity and personality as Rokudo Mukuro.' she said as Mukuro gulped. 'The Six Paths are an appropriate price indeed as you gained those lives in return for such a power even though its against your will on your part.'

'Then...!' Mukuro looked hopeful. To be free from his six lives constantly fighting each other AND him for dominant control...!

He never told Tsuna, Giotto and Hayato what goes on in his mind whenever his personalities feel cocky enough to try and be the dominant personality. In his mind and mental world, it was a constant struggle. Verbally, Physically and Emotionally. It was only his feelings of desiring freedom and feelings for Tsuna that he stayed strong and he constantly protects Tsuna from them when it used to be just two of them.

The less said about his six lives who are absolute monsters was best. All of them sociopaths, twisted perverts and sadists. One time he slipped, one of them took over, wanting to rape Tsuna but Mukuro fought back to kick him away. He warned Giotto that should he slip up again, he is to make a barrier between them and never tell Tsuna that he sometimes loses and he didn't want to scare her away from him when she was his only reason to fight.

'It'll be a bit tricky since your other personalities are monsters we would not wish on anyone, especially children.' Mukuro flinched at her pointed look at him. Since she watched over their progress, she obviously knew about his slip and near crime to his first friend. 'I will take Mukuro to the storage room for if these personalities are removed from his body, they become malevolent ghosts instantly.' she said. 'And I need to contact someone who will throw them where they belong as well. You wait here for us, Tsuna-chan, Hayato-kun and Giotto-san.'

'H-hai...' said Hayato as Yuuko walked away with Mukuro. 'Tsuna, Mukuro will be OK, right?' he asked Tsuna worriedly.

'He will be. We planned this since we met each other.' Tsuna grinned. 'Yuuko-san can save him. He didn't exactly tell me how hard dealing with six extra lives are...something about we're better off knowing nothing about them.' she said with a frown. 'Grandpa, do you know anything?' she asked Giotto. Giotto nodded.

'Yes, but Mukuro made me promise not to tell.' said Giotto. 'He didn't want to scare away his only friend and he wanted to protect you from them. If you knew they existed within Mukuro's earshot, the personalities on his mind will gain greater power and make his life harder than it already is.' he explained. 'All he told you are 'six lives' making himself, the seventh and original difficult due to all that memory which was a lie he came up with.'

'Oh...' Tsuna deflated. 'He's doing that all by himself?' Hayato could only imagine what their oldest kid was dealing with...

'He wanted to.' said Giotto, patting their heads. 'His personalities are a real piece of work and Mukuro has great mental strength to put up with them everyday.' he said when the door slid open to reveal a teenage high schooler who came home with groceries.

'Ah, customers?' he mused as he was followed by a taller and more muscular guy with a stern disposition.

'Yeah.' said Hayato when two round...egg-bunnies? came out.

'Watanuki~! What's for dinner?' the white one asked him as they bounced around him.

'Dinner?' the black one repeated.

'I'm thinking about it OK?' Watanuki said in exasperation. 'And don't do that, you're making me dizzy!'

'Uwaaa they're so cute!' Tsuna squealed, starry-eyed at the creatures as Hayato STARED at them.

'What ARE they? UMAs?!' he squawked out as the egg-bunnies looked at him.

'How rude!'

'We're not aliens!'

'My name is Soel!' said the white one.

'And I'm Larg!' said the black one.

'Then what ARE you then?!' Hayato demanded with a comical mouth of fangs while shakily pointing. 'You look like aliens!'

'Heeheeheeheehee!'

'What are we, what are we~?' they teased Hayato as they bounced around him.

'You two nutcases quit teasing the customers!' Watanuki yelled.

'Maa maa, it's OK.' Tsuna giggled. 'I find them adorable!'

'If you stay here for a week with them, you'll be singing a different tune.' said Watanuki wryly. 'I'll go get Yuuko-san...'

'No need Watanuki-san...she's already tending to our brother in the basement.' said Tsuna with a sad smile. 'He's got a really bad case...of unwanted extra lives.' at this, Watanuki and Doumeki STARED. 'Due to his...not-so-good past, he ended up with them and they're a real piece of work and all of us had enough of those six making his life difficult. He'll be free from them soon.'

'Ah...'

xxx

Reikai...

Koenma had to deal with a problem.

First, the annual Ankoku Bujutsukai is coming up again and his new Detective and his friend got roped into this courtesy of Toguro Oto. With them, as well as Hiei and Kurama who are invited, they are lacking a fifth member...but he got information that Toguro set someone up to fill that spot.

Now, the Immortal Dimensional Witch called him for a problem named Rokudo Mukuro...and how his problem came to be. By gawd, the boy technically has seven lives all in all and how the hell did a Mafia Organization have access to this kind of perverted technology? Well, they'll never know now. Sawada Tsunayoshi destroyed the facility in anger for the children by using her flames to turn everything to stone and murdered every Estraneo on the spot. That was at age 8 by herself!

He agreed to help transport his 'six lives' to Reikai for Judgment as souls are not Yuuko's forte. Only sorcery and equivalent-exchange wish-granting. However, he also has his own price as a failsafe just incase...their weakest member was Kuwabara and the boy doesn't really have tactics and strategy in his dictionary which WILL get him killed but he hoped it would not come to that. He then took a look at Mukuro's fighting abilities...and breathed a sigh of relief. He also investigated the kids and one...avatar they were with. All of these people in the Mafia has access to a more advanced form of Reidoha...they call it Shinuki Honoo. Due to the way it resonates with one's emotions, it has been regarded as a type of battle aura. However, unlike the aura, which is a supernatural phenomenon that can only be seen by a reido users and youkai, the Dying Will Flame is in many ways more alike to a real flame, possessing even its own destructive properties.

These flames are graded according to their purity, which has a direct relationship with the strength of an individual's resolve. Among other things, this rate of purity serves to indicate how much of the special characteristics of the Flames are being drawn out. Each Flame's attribute has its own special characteristic. Tsuna and Giotto's Sky Flame has the ability to Freeze, Petrify and Synchronize as well as the best propulsion ability, Mukuro's Mist Flame can make Illusions 'real' and cause psychosomatic damage, and Hayato's Storm Flame can Disintegrate anything, even other flames. These Flames however, run only in certain bloodlines through the 7^3 Policy through the descendants of those who possessed certain rings and pacifiers and most of them happen to be Italian Mafioso or affiliated to the Mafia!

Sighing, he wondered what to make out of them.

xxx

'EHHHHH?!' Yuuko had explained the complications of Mukuro's case that required the Judge of Afterlife to charge him too. Yuuko got his mastered Six Paths powers thus his red eye became similar to his left one, making both Mukuro's eyes normal and blue. He is now just a typical Illusionist. Koenma wanted him to be the Sixth Member of Team Urameshi in Ankoku Bujutsukai this coming Summer...for simply adding to his paperwork with his unusual case.

'Ankoku Bujutsukai, a tournament of demons...will Mukuro be OK?!' Tsuna choked out in horror while the children freaked out.

'I'll be fine...I think. Besides, I'm a spare member anyway just incase one of them dies, so I won't fight just yet.' Mukuro twitched. He did NOT see this coming at all! How should he and Yuuko know they needed afterlife interference for his case?!

'We'll be stricter in your training, Mukuro-kun.' said Giotto grimly. 'You need to improve and as such...you will fight Tsuna and Hayato-kun at the same time.'

'Hai.'

'We'll train at the countryside.' said Giotto. 'That way no human will see us at work.'

'Well, we ARE using flames and real illusions here.' Hayato deadpanned. 'Of course we'd get attention.' They have a kid who can freeze you to ice or turn you to stone with an Intuition bordering on psychic that she could tell the future for a few seconds when it came to fights thus she could instinctively react, and got a fully-trained body that can react with her mind. They have a kid who can disintegrate literally anything his flames touch. And they have a kid who can now make illusions real on the verge of Reality Warping. Yep, they're no ordinary kids.

They took residence in a shack and produced a kitchen, and since they don't have electricity nor a fridge...to stave off the weather, they wore summer clothes and Giotto created lots of trees with thick canopies to shield the shack from too much sun, and thereby lessening the heat on their living place and making it comfortable. That, and Giotto covered the ceilings and walls in thick ice that never melts as an impromptu cooler...it somewhat works.

On training, they would wear training clothes but on off-hours, they would wear their summer yukatas loose, and they would buy manga to kill time, though sometimes, Tsuna would talk to Giotto. Training never got them to talk much anymore.

'Naa Mukuro,' said Hayato as he was getting a new book. 'I know that we've seen Primo for the first time in Yuuko-san's shop but...' he said uneasily. At present date, they grew their hair long. While Tsuna grew her hair long past her waist bound at the tip with a ribbon and fringes similar to Giotto's, Mukuro wore his hair in its usual style, but with longer hair he wears in a low ponytail while Hayato, wanting some more semblance with his mother, grew his hair long and wore it loose. Both boys had the penchant for fashion and looking as manly cool as possible with accessories to match, and both are NEVER without gloves, belts, spikes, studs, earrings...while Hayato opted for the 'bad boy' look, Mukuro favored anything with coats, boots and leather whenever possible. Tsuna favors hiding her true nature as a fighter under cute, girly but still trendy clothes that made her look innocent and unable to harm a fly or sometimes, Giotto makes her wear clothes that are avant garde or haute couture clothes that make her look like a princess. She wanted to be underestimated. Well, for the summer, all of them wore kimonos.

'I know.' Mukuro chuckled. 'Seeing Tsuna talk to seemingly nothing tends to get a little creepy. Well, we're not her kind of psychic.' he told the younger boy. 'Who knows what they're talking about right now...' he said.

'Before I came, what do they used to talk about?' Hayato asked him curiously.

'Well, plans for the future after we all overcame our destiny.' said Mukuro while flipping to next pages of his manga. 'About what do we do as our family. Core members are a start but gathering those who share the same ideals as us is our next challenge. Who will share the same ideals as us or just in it for our power? That is the question...and that's where Tsuna's ability comes in.' he said. 'Who knows how long we have before her feet gets possessed again.' he snarked. 'You're lucky that you didn't get to walk for miles in several months just to find the next 'brother'.'

'That bad?' Hayato had heard of the 'Possessed Feet' case...at first he brushed it off as a joke, but now that he got proof that magic and supernatural exists...yikes.

'That bad.' Mukuro shuddered as he looked back to the hellish three months of journey on foot just to find Hayato. That, and prior to finding Mukuro, Tsuna walked six months and two weeks just to get to him. She was far worse off.

xxx

Tokyo, in a Hotel, First-Class...

It was one day before Ankoku Bujutsukai starts.

Tsuna was in utter hysterics because Mukuro would be fighting demons if one of his teammates dies and she didn't want him to fight one. Dealing with Mafia was rough as it is but true blue MONSTERS?!

The men in her life were TRYING to calm her down because she was getting scared of Mukuro's survival prospects...until Mukuro decided to put her to sleep.

'...and to think I'm the one fighting and I'm not as hysterical as she is.' he deadpanned. Hayato smiled.

'Its because she cares Mukuro.' he said. Mukuro could not help but smile. 'We don't want you fighting ghouls either but as you're a spare member, chances of you fighting are very low and nil.' Hayato grinned. 'She really has nothing to be afraid of. All we have to do is just be present and away from notice.'

'I hope that were the case, otherwise I'd have to be planning my tactics right now.' said Mukuro. 'We'll be watching the fights as spectators.'

Giotto shivered.

Youkai can see ghosts like him, so he's definitely sticking around his descendant. They might be able to harm him while he as a ghost, could NOT and that's not fair!

He cried comical waterfall tears.


	5. Curiosity of a Senior

Curiosity of a Senior

Next day, Hanging Neck Island...

'Wow, nice hotel.' Hayato snarked. 'If ONLY we can forget this hotel is NOT run by humans who have shady relationships with spooks!' he grunted as they came with their luggage. Now that they're in Japan, they could finally own more than a few clothes. But in the meantime, the boys are dressed in expensive-material black suits and tie with their dress shirts corresponding to the color of their flames, Tsuna wore a yellow-orange furisode over orange nagajuban. Her Obi is bright red in color with a maroon obiage and dark yellow obijime. Her obi is styled into a washikusa.

And all three of them wore black tinted shades that are oversized as they checked in, and booked a First-Class Room for three...and as usual, its expensive but they would be paying upon checking out anyway. And they used fake names they thought of the day prior. There's NO WAY they're using their real names on **this**.

Upon arrival to their room, they all sighed in relief.

'Whew...dressing up like rich people works well.' Giotto sighed as their fancy outfits disappeared, leaving behind their casual wear.

'It works well grandpa.' Tsuna sighed when a baby appeared before them. 'Wah!'

'Its just Koenma, don't freak out.' Mukuro quipped as Koenma nodded in acknowledgment.

'You four, I have done some investigations on your backgrounds, but what got my attention, is your powers.' he said. 'Your Flames, is it?'

'Yes.' said Tsuna. 'What of it?'

'Originally, there's only Reidoha for humans when they awakened their powers.' said Koenma. 'However, a race before humans are born created what they called Tri-Ni-Set.' he said. 'The Tri-Ni-Set are originally seven stones that are Keystones to the Existence of all life in Earth as well as nature.' he said. 'However, as the species died out, due to unknown reasons, they had to rely on the humans' power to sustain the Tri-Ni-Set. These seven stones are split, and 21 objects are made from it, hence 7^3.' he explained. 'These objects are Seven Rainbow Pacifiers, Seven Mare Rings and the Seven Vongola Rings. All of which possess what you know as Dying Will Flames of the Sky. Thus your life force, instead of leaning to the more spiritual nature of Reidoha, leant more to the power of nature of the world which is why any Mafioso who possesses these flames cannot see spirits, with the exception of Tsuna here.' he said. 'And I have gotten interested since the Vongola Family practically possessed a set of these treasures.'

'I didn't know that, all I know is I received these rings from a lady who believed in me and my Guardians' ideals at the time!' Giotto sputtered out, 'She said that it will give us the power to protect and told me what each ring can do and our resolves awakened them to their true forms!' Tsuna relayed his words to her guardians in a whisper. 'What can these sets do? All I know is what the Vongola Rings can do.'

'The Vongola Rings?' Hayato asked him as Tsuna began relaying Giotto's words.

'Yes...the Vongola Rings' Miracle is Vertical Space-Time Axis.' said Giotto. 'This power allows the Vongola to move through generations down the Vertical Space-Time Axis; this means the Vongola traditions can be passed down, from the past to the future. An example of this miracle is the Vongola Trial, which occurs when the Vongola successor is in a near-death situation; he is given a test of resolve by his predecessors to see if the successor has what it takes to lead the Vongola.' he said. 'Our 'hours' are engraved into these rings. Thus avatars of myself and previous bosses are within the rings.' he explained. 'Our will, memories and ideals...are engraved into the ring. As long as the rings exist, so can we.'

'But Giotto-san, if you can freely roam around, what of the others?' Hayato questioned him.

'Well, they didn't realize that they have that kind of power.' Giotto chuckled before sighing sadly. 'I was the only one to realize thus I was able to get out and watch over Vongola. I watched everything without the original me and the still-living Guardians realizing it...and engraved the still-living me's hours through me as I stayed by his side. I tried getting the others out so I wouldn't be alone but no matter how many times I call, they wouldn't answer so I guess its something they should figure out on their own.' he said gloomily. 'All I could do was watch in frustration and watch as Vongola fell into crime and other wrongdoings...a far cry from how it started out. I'm just glad the living me split the rings into two and sealed their true forms, only to be received by those worthy of its true nature for we fear what can the power do in wrong hands.' he finished. 'What can the Mare Rings and Pacifiers do?'

'The Pacifiers have the Miracle to exist as 'points' in space and time, while the Mare Rings Miracle is Horizonal Space-Time Axis. If Vongola passes their form to the next generation like a clam, the Mare Rings have the ability to move horizontally along the Space-Time Axis, giving it the ability to see into Parallel Worlds. This ability allows the user to peer into, gain knowledge and communicate with other worlds. It means that you can see yourself making various decisions and how said decisions affected the future so there's multiple futures as a result of different decisions, thus the present you can easily manipulate your life into having the life you wanted, and easily fix your mistakes or regrets. However, this particular miracle has high abuse potential and who knows who has it now.' said Koenma wryly.

'Well...crap.' Tsuna summed up their thoughts with a grimace. 'Let's just hope it stays missing or if some people DO have it, they will never realize what the Mare Rings can truly do. Its easy to have an Ego Maniac on a Power Trip to be born.'

'We don't like that idea either.' said Koenma. 'Be on the lookout since you kids are future Mafioso who may go to Italy for business...you may find leads there...and find a way to seal them away. Nature is not in Reikai's job scope, our job is about the Afterlife and safety of humanity so I would entrust you kids with that task. And I'll take Mukuro with me for a little training.' he said. 'To fight spiritually-aware humans and youkai, he'll need a similar power so I'll awaken his reidoha.'

'Hey what about me too?' Hayato grumbled. 'It's not gonna be fun if I'm the only one unable to see Primo you know!'

'Take him too.' Tsuna smiled at Koenma. With much persuasion, Koenma took Hayato too. 'Well grandpa, soon the boys can see and hear you too.' Tsuna giggled as Giotto smiled.

'Yes...it would be refreshing indeed.' said Giotto. While he loves his foster daughter, he wanted some manly chats with boys too! For now, its family time. They rarely get the time now due to training!

They were now watching movies together and laughing at Home Alone 3 together.

xxx

'Now then...' said Koenma as he faced the two boys. 'While for Mukuro its a necessity, are you sure about your choice, Hayato? You'll face the same training and I'm telling you boys it'll be difficult and we only have a few days before the Finals. Three weeks tops.' he asked the silverette who nodded.

'Yeah.' Hayato grinned. 'Three weeks? That's nothing compared to what we usually do. Nah, Mukuro?'

'That's plenty of time for us indeed.' said Mukuro seriously.

Koenma really wondered how these mafia kids trained now...but judging by Hayato's musculature, he can assume Mukuro is much more. They're 13 and 12 yet despite their lean, slender bodies, they're like, sculpted!

xxx

Elsewhere in the Hotel, in a certain suite...

Genkai, a.k.a the Mask stayed by the windows in deep thought.

She was once the winner of this tournament with a certain pair of brothers with whom she survived and they defeated Kairen, the monster who destroyed Toguro's Dojo and killed all his students. Her experiences in the tournament made her wish to never be invited ever again for the rest of her human life, and enjoyed a comfortable life with her prize money which was a 'secret prize' from the human sponsors, that she was wealthy enough to own several mountains where she was able to study, train and perfect her Reikohadoken.

But now, fifty years later...she's nearing eighty yet still springy and an able fighter but due to age, her strength waned.

And she knew Toguro hopes to kill her and she told Koenma that. Koenma then told her that if such a case happens and because of the rules in the Final Rounds, he already prepared a replacement he managed to 'purchase'. A young boy who was experimented on by the mafia and as a result, he has six extra lives with horrible personalities to match and he constantly fights them for dominance to protect his friends from 'them' using his body. The kids had gone to the Dimensional Witch for help, but lives aren't Yuuko's forte while she could definitely 'fix' him for a price the kid willingly paid for, but dealing with the ghosts was Koenma's job that added 5% of his paperwork due to how the heck his case happened when he was about done and had an aneurysm.

So for the extra work and overtime, he charged Rokudo Mukuro to be a spare member should a member of Team Urameshi die. He himself would awaken Mukuro's spiritual side so he can have the ability to fight spiritual and youki users as well.

The kid is an Illusionist and capable of making his illusions 'real' using his Dying Will Flames of the Mist and Koenma told her what he knew of it through research. And the Mafia has their own brand of psychic and Illusionists are considered as such. She wanted to meet the kids out of interest of their flames since she never encountered something like this before.

She decided to pay them a visit.

xxx

Upstairs...on further floors where Tsuna is...they were still watching movies supplied by Giotto's scepter when somebody rang the doorbell.

'Wonder who that is...' Tsuna mused as she went to answer the door. No harm anyway otherwise she would petrify whoever's on the other side of the door right now.

It was...a masked MIDGET.

'Uhhh who're you?' the midget came inside without permission. 'Hey!'

'Close the door.' she said as she got ready to unmask herself, revealing to be a young girl with pink hair and brown eyes. 'Koenma told me about you kids.' she said.

'Y-yeah...are you a Team Urameshi member?' Tsuna asked the woman who nodded. 'What're you here for?'

'I was hoping I'd meet my replacement if I ever die.' said the woman.

'Unlikely, you're strong.' said Giotto with a frown. 'We can sense your spirit.' the young girl chuckled.

'I will definitely die.' she repeated. 'Once I give my heir my power as his inheritance, I will die.' she said with a rue smile. 'So three weeks before that, I want to meet my replacement.'

'Eto...Koenma took him and Hayato for training to awaken their spiritual awareness though.' said Tsuna. 'Originally its just Mukuro but Hayato wanted training too so he can also see grandpa.' she said with a chuckle. 'They believe me that grandpa is here but its still weird for them to see me talk to 'nothing'.' she said, making quote marks in the air. The girl looked at the man who's obviously a ghost.

'That's one young grandpa kid.'

'I'm an avatar.' said Giotto. 'The real me is long dead and has long since passed on.' he said. 'And I'm about 400 years old just able to be here due to my heirloom in Italy.' he quipped in amusement.

'Ah, ancestral avatar then.' Giotto nodded. 'You're an interesting case for once since you still possess great power when most avatars can't do squat bar existing.' the girl remarked thoughtfully. 'You're very strong.' Giotto smirked. 'I would like to fight you.'

'Eh? Can you touch me? And can I touch you?' Giotto frowned. 'Tsuna is an only exception as she is my descendant and heir. We could truly interact like family but to other humans, I'm a real ghost.'

'Fufu, then I should teach you how then, you old fossil.' the woman smirked. 'Ghosts and Avatars have what we call 'Nen'. They can use their spiritual energy with their intent to interact with the living. Its how Poltergeists cause trouble by lifting and throwing objects. You should have the same power and its different from your flames.' she said. 'Should I teach you as I really want to fight you?'

'E-eh? Ah...OK?' Giotto blinked, perplexed at what she just said.

'Is that a question or answer?!' The rosette hollered with a comical bighead.

'Answer!' Giotto squeaked at the sudden bark nervously.

Tsuna sweatdropped.

Needless to say, the woman stayed with them for a while, teaching Giotto how to use Nen. It was...an interesting experience, to say the least.

She was also learning because she's listening. Because she was close to death so many times as a child, her power is particularly strong which is why Giotto could touch her such as patting her head, touching her shoulder when he needed to protect her, and hugging her when she needed comfort. Apparently, now that she learned of this, she was apparently on automatic Nen thus it wasn't as Giotto believed that because they're family.

And she herself didn't know how the heck that happened when she was a child.

Was it because she longed for the warmth of family that her power responded to her wishes?


	6. Countdown to X Day

Countdown to X Day

The next day...

Giotto and Tsuna watched on TV about the matches at a far safer distance at the safety of their hotel room...with them none too impressed about the first fight, while for the next three battles, it was a win.

'...boring.' Tsuna twitched. 'It happened in just thirty minutes, its like watching one TV Episode!'

'Well, on the bright side, it means we can manage on our own if we ever encounter them.' Giotto smiled. 'Although if the strong ones really come, we really have to run.' he said rather uncomfortably.

'Sou da ne...let's go bring food to the boys at around lunch time.' said Tsuna. 'Since they're training hard, they shouldn't eat slow-digesting food...' she mused thoughtfully. 'It'll be lunchtime in about...four more hours.'

'Let's watch the other fights then.' said Giotto as he conjured a list. 'These teams here, including theirs, are pretty strong with Team Toguro on top of the food chain.' he said as he showed Tsuna the list. 'Only eight teams will make it to the Quarterfinals, four to the Semi-finals and two to the Championship.' he said. 'There are originally 24 teams and today, there are twenty-four fights. Days later there will be half of that and so on because these fights take long or quick, and the extra days are for time to heal and recover.' he said.

'Sou da na...well, good for us even though I really don't want us to stay here for too long.' said Tsuna as she turned to other channels but all of them are horror movies inspired from either killers or monsters. She groaned. 'You gotta be kidding me, only Mukuro likes these things!'

'...VCR Tapes it is.' said Giotto wryly, seeing the selection of channels as well. 'But first let's check on the boys.' with a wave of his scepter, they appeared outside a cave. 'Ah, a barrier...' Giotto mused. 'We should be appearing next to them so since we're out...'

'Yeah...I guess no interference for a particular stage...' Tsuna mused. 'Then I guess we send these bentos and ice tea to Koenma or whoever is his secretary...let's be sure to add a memo.' Giotto tapped the goods with his scepter and the items are gone. Next thing Botan knew, she has the items in question and a note.

xxx

It took two weeks...before Tsuna saw her brothers again.

And she and Giotto could feel the changes in their spirit.

'W-waaah...' Tsuna and Giotto even more so could not help but feel their newfound spiritual strength. Sure they trained in Nen in order to be able to interact with spiritual entities but what the heck did these two do?

'Hey, I can see Primo now!' Hayato grinned impishly as Giotto smiled.

'Well, now it won't be strange anymore it seems...ufufufufu...' Mukuro snorted as right now, Primo is as clear as day!

'Well, I can finally talk to you boys.' said the happy, jovial ancestral avatar. 'But for now, Mukuro has homework.' said Giotto, holding up a tape. 'This tape contains every match of Team Toguro, Team Urameshi's opponent in the Finals.' he said. 'Your designated opponent is Toguro Ani. He can transform himself into anything he wants, but he seems to idolize Vlad Tepes since his favorite way of killing is by impaling.'

'We already watched it so its your turn.' said Tsuna fretfully. 'After Team Urameshi's match with Team Uraotogi...there's a ten day break before the Finals starting now. Be careful...' she said worriedly. 'He's a twisted piece of work.'

'Well, seeing is believing.' said Hayato with a gulp, fearing for their eldest. Tsuna played the tape...and then matches for ten years straight began playing.

'Well...shit. THAT'S your opponent?!' Hayato grimaced as they watched a movie that was at least...7 hours long. Some fights ended quick, some, he toyed with before slowly mutilating them to death. Hayato looked ill on the first thirty minutes alone and fainted, while Mukuro could withstand the whole thing...given his childhood.

'Mukuro...' Tsuna swallowed. 'Given your abilities...chances of winning?' she asked him. She's in no place to judge him as Mukuro knows his abilities best.

'I'll be alright, Tsuna.' Mukuro smiled. 'I know how to deal with him.'

"He knows how to deal with this despicable man in just one time watching this video, eh?' Giotto thought, impressed with their eldest boy. 'Then can you show us your game plan?'

'Oy, I don't know how my illusions will affect avatars like yourself...' Mukuro frowned. 'Tsuna and Hayato long got used to my illusions and the effect of _illusionary poisoning_...'

'I'll live.' said Giotto flatly when the door opened. It was Genkai. 'Genkai-san...'

'I believe its time, Ieyasu.' she said with a smirk. 'Will you oblige this old woman?'

'Hai...I mastered that Nen thing.' said Giotto. 'I believe we can have a fight.'

'Good.' "Because I'm on a rather...tight schedule myself." she thought wryly. 'Let's go.'

'Hayato, wake uuuup!' Tsuna shook Hayato awake, 'C'mon!'

xxx

At the Hotel Grounds...

Giotto and Genkai were at a considerable distance from each other while Tsuna, Hayato and Mukuro stood by the sidelines.

'Wow...a ghost fighting a spiritualist...this is something we don't see everyday!' Hayato marveled in amazement as they sat by the stone stair steps.

'This is irony at its funniest.' said Mukuro wryly.

'I wonder how this'll go...' a few seconds later, the two lunged at each other in a full-on fist-fight with each other.

'...as expected of Primo...he quickly mastered Nen.' Mukuro commented. 'Koenma mentioned that Genkai took interest in fighting a strong ghost like him yet due to his foreign background, had originally no idea how to use Nen.' he said. And that was because while not a REAL ghost, as long as he is connected to the Vongola Sky Ring, he would get stronger as he gets older, thus capable of being as strong as a real ghost with access to his original abilities and capable of learning Modern-Day Developments. Hence he taught them what the Mafia are doing, experimenting on their flames, trying to know as much as possible, trying something new each time.

'So did we you know.' Hayato pointed out. 'Well, we'll be living with a 'solid' ghost from now on.' he chuckled.

'Well, it DID depend on intent...' Tsuna smiled. 'I thought that the reason we could make physical contact was because we're blood relatives...we were unwittingly using Nen all along on each other...and it turns out I have spiritual energy to begin with due to my weak body as a kid and I was close to death many times, I gained the power.'

Meanwhile, one Urameshi Yusuke was looking for Genkai and ran out of the hotel to see three kids by the steps, and the old lady fighting a ghost!

'The fuck is going on here?!' he spluttered out as he was seeing one hell of a fight.

'Oh, Genkai-san wanted to spar with my grandpa.' Tsuna chimed while pointing at the fight. Yusuke STARED at the man who was Biseinen material in a suit and a cape with metal-padded gloves. His jaws dropped.

'THAT'S a grandpa?! Too young!'

'Maa maa, skip the minor details,' said Hayato airily while waving his hand lazily. 'What matters is the fight.'

'Who are you kids anyway?' Yusuke asked them as he too, sat down to watch but they never answered him. The...grandpa...wasn't so bad...he's just as good as the granny in skills, but when it came to evasion, he's too fast...he 'blinks' just like Hiei does! But Genkai could catch up due to experience.

After a few more minutes, they stopped.

'Not bad...you mastered Nen in just two weeks, making you capable of making contact and fighting with the living.' said Genkai. 'Not bad for a one-time student.'

'Ahahaha...good students only exist with good teachers.' said Giotto sheepishly, scratching the back of his head.

'Good students also exist if they work hard and put in enough effort which you do...unlike my dimwit over there sitting with the kids!' the mafia looked at Yusuke who looked like a deer caught in headlights.

'I got school you know!' Yusuke defended.

'You skip _more_ than you attend!' came the barking retort, causing the mafia to sweatdrop. 'I investigated your background, dumbass!' Yusuke looked sheepish at that. 'Well, I got another appointment.' said Genkai. 'Work hard you two...' she said fondly as she went into the forest.

'...you shouldn't skip school you know!' Tsuna chided. 'Grades determine our future jobs! If we want a high-paying one, go get high grades!'

Giotto, Hayato and Mukuro went (-_-') at the hypocritical lecture.

"Tsuna, we don't go to school too because _we don't exist in normal society_!" the boys thought while Giotto swore that he would make these kids go to school to taste normal life somehow.

When Genkai was gone...

'Urameshi-san...' said Tsuna. 'We offer our condolences in advance.' she said. The boys looked puzzled at her statement

'Huh? What're you talking about?' Yusuke asked her, perplexed as Mukuro made them 'disappear' using his illusions and they all masked their reiki simultaneously. '...condolences in advance...?' he frowned before walking away.

'He'll know soon that Genkai-san will die...' said Giotto as they reappeared in their hotel room.

'Eh? That ol' granny will die?' Hayato frowned. 'What do you mean?'

'On the day Koenma took you guys, Genkai-san visited us because she wanted to meet Mukuro who'd replace her.' said Tsuna. 'She's very convinced that she'll die for some reason when we watched all Team Urameshi Matches, she always wins her fights.' she said. 'Maybe she'd meet someone here who might be the cause because events that would make her die are impossible because she's strong. So it'll be 'someone will kill her'.' she frowned. 'She knows they're coming.'

'...'

Indeed...they felt her reiki disappear sometime later.

'Well, for these ten days, no training.' said Giotto. 'We'll take a break so Mukuro is in top shape for Toguro Ani.'

'Ooh let's watch TV.' said Mukuro, gunning for the remote.

'It's all Horror Shows!' Tsuna whined. 'Their 'fixed cable' only shows nothing but horror! All horror movies in ALL COUNTRIES!'

'I could use some extra ideas...Illusions are all about 'scaring the other'.' Mukuro grinned as Tsuna and Hayato shivered at his sinister grin.

"We don't wanna know!"

'...ah, let's go order dinner, we haven't had any yet...' said Tsuna as she made a beeline for the hotel phone. 'What would you guys want? We have a menu on the coffee table in front of the couch.'

'But some of them is torn.' said Mukuro. He was the nearest to the couch and saw the damaged menu as the two Sawadas shuddered.

'Believe me, you don't wanna know what we tore out.' Giotto shuddered. 'I'll just fix it when we'll check out. I don't want to pay for it!'

Because they are in a Hotel that hosts demons and humans who make shady dealings with demons, they checked the menu with magic...and the meat in question that's served, is _human meat and offal_. They mostly order seafood, vegetables and soup as a result, and they would temporarily go to Tokyo for chicken, pork and beef for Tsuna to eat, and to put on bentos for the boys.

xxx

Days later...

X Day...

Front Seats...

'This is it Primo, Tsuna...' Hayato gulped as they dressed extremely fancy just to match Giotto's formal appearance. Tsuna looked like a Japanese noblewoman 500 years back. Fancy kimono with Haori and Hayato in a suit made of expensive fabric and expensive shoes. 'And Mukuro's gonna be making his entrance later when they're done with the crummy rules.'

'Sou ne...' Tsuna giggled. 'And Mukuro really wanted tasteful outfits for the occasion...'

'Well, he wants to win in style.' Giotto snorted. 'He sure requested fashionable things from me.' Mukuro asked for a trench coat with matching trousers, a pair of gloves, a shirt, boots, and accessories that all emphasized trendy 'bad ass' manliness and the coats were for the fact that he's considered a 'Spellcaster' in the Mafia World and wanted to look the part.

/LADIES AND GENTLEMEN!/ a blue-haired girl with tail to match suggesting she's an aquatic youkai with tanned skin, /TEAM URAMESHI!/ their corner opened...to reveal the original members. Yusuke, Hiei, Kuwabara and Kurama.

'KILL THEM!'

'KILL!'

'DIE URAMESHII!'

'OUR MONEY IS ON YOUR DEATHS!'

'DIE!'

'...talk about uneducated.' Hayato huffed. 'They got all the way down to the championship! Talk about tenacity in wishing their deaths!' he said in baffled amazement.'

'Like you said, uneducated.' said Giotto blandly. 'I doubt these ghouls around us even got past Kindergarten, the need of eat, sleep and defecate, Hundred Ways to Die and Basics of Life.'

'Maa maa, our boys will win, don't sweat it!' Tsuna chirped happily.

/NOW! THE TOGURO TEAM!/

'YAAAAAAAY!'

'KILL EM!'

Then...

'What? Only four people each?'

/Everyone if you quiet down please!/ the referee cried as she took out a rule book. /The Finals will consist of One-on-One battles! There will be five matches and the one who wins three matches first is the Victor! Since nobody has died yet on either Team, you'll need each to bring a fifth member! There were accidents earlier between both teams that we didn't see but the fifth members must appear soon!/

**Fufufufufufu...**

Mukuro's unique laugh echoed all over the stadium in a rather creepy way.

**I suppose now is my time for entry?** a man's voice spoke in Keigo and whitish indigo fire swirled from all over to gather in one spot...until Mukuro materialized with his Trident.

'You're one of those kids!' Yusuke gasped out, recognizing Mukuro. 'You're the fifth?!'

'Him?! What about the old granny?!' Kuwabara sputtered out.

'Fufufu...did you not hear about accidents? My my, how uninformed.' Mukuro drawled blandly, incensing Kuwabara who got the same deadpan from Hiei minutes prior. 'And that accident is unfortunately...permanent.' Yusuke's hackles rose at this.

'You guys knew beforehand...' Yusuke swore, as moments after meeting them, Genkai died. Mukuro sighed.

'Well, she DID tell my dear sister and our guardian two weeks before the Semi-Finals and little sister in turn told us.' said Mukuro. 'Moreover this accident was known to happen long before this tournament began, that Koenma prepared me as a failsafe just for this day.' his words startled the whole stadium. 'And I'm pretty legal, registered by Koenma since day one.'

/I-indeed he's here in our database!/ the fox girl cried as she checked the records.

'Well, that sums it up...' said Kurama. 'Who are you?'

'I am Rokudo Mukuro. Pleasure to meet you.' Mukuro smiled his usual playful smile. 'I hope we can get along...particularly...' he flirted with Kurama complete with slight tilt of the redhead's chin with his hand and looked inches away to kissing him to comical horrors. 'You.'

'Gah?!' Yusuke yelped while Kurama looked utterly horrified that a BOY flirted with him!

'MUKURO!' Tsuna yelped in shock and utter comical aghast.

'KURAMA-KUN IS A MAN! A. MAN!' Giotto yelled with a comical fanged bighead. Mukuro went (O.o) 'I TOLD YOU TO WATCH THOSE TAPES LAST WEEK!'

'A...man?' Mukuro blinked owlishly as Kurama twitched while Hiei snorted. 'Oh my, what a shame. Oh well, beauty is still beauty.' he sighed in utter disappointment.

By his words, does that mean he'll STILL flirt with him?

'Dude, you gotta start dressing more masculine...' Kuwabara shook his head while Kurama looked ready to kill them both to Hiei's amusement.

/Now, will Team Toguro present their fifth member?/

'I will summon him now.' said Toguro Oto as his team corner opened...


	7. Mukuro's Fight

Mukuro's Fight

Kurama and Hiei's fights came and went with Kurama losing and Hiei winning...but the mess he made...wrecked the ring.

'...ah ah, Hiei broke the ring.' Hayato sighed.

'But that Kokuryuuha is no joke Hayato.' Giotto mused. 'Its both a Storm and Sun Flame in minor resemblance since it can burn you to nothingness while if absorbed by the summoner, numbs their pain and increases their strength.' he noted thoughtfully. "Although the Sun Flame really can't numb pain..."

/Erm, everyone, the ring is too badly damaged for the fights to go on and we NEED a ring according to the rules.../ the fox girl spoke when the ring...magically fixed itself. /E-EHHHH?! Someone's responsible and we gotta thank them for fixing the ring, otherwise we'll be waiting for a replacement!/ in the seats, Giotto was chuckling, patting his bejeweled staff that was a source of magic.

'Looks like the show can go on.' Mukuro smiled as he hopped on to the ring while Hiei went down.

'Looks like someone's excited.' Hiei snarked out with a rather meaningful and pointed stare before falling asleep. Mukuro smirked at him and his opponent.

Hiei knew what he did beforehand. As expected of the man with a literal and figurative third eye.

'...for how long will you perch on his shoulder like a spider?' Mukuro asked him. 'Come over here already.'

'Looks like someone's eager to die.' Toguro Ani cackled as he jumped off to be at the ring in a blink.

'Fufufu...' Mukuro cackled as the referee began speaking.

/Third Match! Toguro VS Rokudo Mukuro! Begin!/ the screen changed to show photos and names...Yusuke, Kuwabara and Kurama STARED at how Mukuro's name was written.

'...talk about horrible naming sense...' Kuwabara sweatdropped. 'What kind of parents would name their kid THAT?!' Mukuro's name is literally written as 'six paths corpse'.

"The same kind who can experiment on children without batting an eyelash of remorse as they ignored screaming and begging to cease." Mukuro thought darkly, remembering his past of torture before Tsuna saved him and his cousins.

'Kukukuku...I should make you feel six ways to die then...you have such a beautiful name, Mukuro-kun.' Toguro Ani chuckled as the concrete beneath his feet cracked and Mukuro dodged that one by being...on the right corner of the ring near the Referee all this time while an illusion of him was doing the fighting. 'Not bad!'

'You have very little imagination...I pity you.' Mukuro scoffed. 'For a long-lived demon, I thought you'd have better techniques...you BORE me.' he said boredly as he waved his staff. 'And for short-lived humans like myself...' their environment began changing as he began making various dance-like stances with his staff before striking the ground with the hilt. 'We make it a point to study to broaden our horizons.' an Earthquake occurred as their surroundings...began turning into darkness. Everything was pure darkness, save for the spectator's seats, the ring, and the Team's Corners.

Darkness with blood-red mist...and they heard eerie moans and howls.

'What's that?!'

'What the hell is going on here?!'

'Where are those howls coming from?!'

'I think we're in another world...' Kuwabara choked out as everyone was getting nervous. Soon, the ring shattered to pieces as those in the ring and corners now floated in nothingness void on a stone platform big enough for one person each, making Kurama grab Hiei quickly to prevent him from falling down below, and showing Toguro with his tentacle appendages under the concrete and ground.

'No shit, Sherlock!' Yusuke shuddered. 'Where the fuck are we?!'

'Be careful and don't fall no matter what!' Kurama cried apprehensively as they wondered what was coming next as they all felt going down...real fast...and their heads are starting to hurt. The only ones unaffected, were the Mafia.

'M-my head!' Yusuke gasped out. 'It hurts!'

/T-the crowd is affected by this change of world!/ the fox girl cried in pain while clutching her own head. /Everyone's clutching their heads in agony as the screams are getting louder! What's going on?!/

'Now...you have nowhere to run and hide...' said Mukuro with a dark smile. 'Nowhere to run...FROM HELL ITSELF!' from below, there was lava...with tortured, mutilated humans and demons who were clearly burned alive screaming as they reached up for where they are, causing total panic all over the stadium. 'These are the people you killed and toyed with over the years...look, they want a new friend! Won't you join them?' he questioned mockingly.

'W-wha...?! You have access to hell itself?!' Toguro Ani shrieked in horror as the ring he was on became unstable. 'A-ahhhh!' it turns out that the parts of the rings Toguro Ani and Mukuro are standing on, are propped up with vines...and the souls are shaking the vine pillar Toguro Ani was on.

**Come down here...**

**Its fun down here...**

**You can hear us screaming for ever and ever...**

**You like that, right?**

**You enjoy that, right?**

**We're lonely without you...**

**Come...join us!**

'No! Leave me alone!' Toguro Ani began panicking in horror as he clung tight to the platform.

/S-suddenly, the world around us changed!/ the fox girl cried in fear. /And we're seeing hell before us people! Rokudo Mukuro took us to hell!/ she wailed. /Hang on to your seats! Juri, you OK?!/

/I-I'm OK!/ Juri choked out as she was clutching the edges of the platform she was on while cowering and trying not to fall from her floating platform.

'Now now, we can't have that...' Mukuro chuckled as he turned into a frightening Shinigami, showing himself as a gigantic, rotting corpse with bloodshot eyeballs with red, slitted eyes with a filthy, tattered black cloak complete with a Death Scythe. **They want you to join them...like a good friend, you know?** he spoke in a deep, raspy inhuman voice as if there's hundreds speaking at once.** Friends should STICK TOGETHER!** he slashed at the vines, causing Toguro Ani to fall down, screaming in fear as the souls pounced on him.

'NOOOOOOOO!' he screamed as he too, began burning to his death the more he was submerged in the fiery pool and the more souls touched him as Mukuro laughed cruelly.

**Look...everyone's all happy now!** he laughed as Toguro Ani was killed over and over in ways he killed all who crossed his way in his life. **They finally have a new friend...where now the game is different! Its your turn to suffer in the game 'Tear Toguro Ani Apart! FUFUFUFU...FUHAHAHA...HAAHAAHAAHAAHAH...!**

'...absolutely frightening...' Kurama choked out as his teammates are clearly horrified. 'But a fitting end for someone like him.'

'I agree...but I never saw him fight.' said Yusuke.

'Hiei and I saw their fights...let's just say its not good to look at.' Kurama shivered.

**Have fun in your new home...as I will now close this world.** said Mukuro as they all went up...until they were back on Earth, as the arena repaired itself...and soon, what's on the ring was Mukuro himself, and the charred remains of Toguro Ani torn to pieces, the only thing visible, was his screaming expression.

/W-we're back on Earth now...and while Toguro Ani certainly went to hell, why is his body still here?!/ the referee choked out.

'Oh, that? Only souls go there.' Mukuro quipped as he removed his illusion grip on hundreds of minds. 'I just let them burn the body as evidence of my victory.' he said with a charming smile, yet a smile that terrified the crowd.

/This battle is completely terrifyingly one-sided.../ the referee choked out in tears, completely traumatized. /The victor is Rokudo Mukuro!/

Silence greeted that, as Mukuro got off the ring.

'I-is it safe to be anywhere near you?!' Kuwabara squeaked in fear as Team Urameshi are completely wary of him.

'Ma, as long as you're not on my bad side...fufufufufufu...' Mukuro chuckled as the three of them went blue and white. At the seats...the girls of Team Urameshi were huddling together, shivering in fear. Koenma was sweating buckets and gulped.

"W-what terrifying mind...and what power, capable of seizing hundreds of minds in this stadium so he could make them see what he wanted them to see with his Real Illusions he materialized into the physical world..." 'You girls OK?' he asked them in great concern as youkai and beings like himself who never experienced an illusionary attack suffered sheer Illusionary Poisoning, which manifests as a form of incredible migraines and nausea. The weak ones collapse, while those with strong spirits could stay awake but still feeling the effects. And depending on how strong, the less the pain is.

And the girls collapsed while Yukina was barely hanging on, prompting Koenma to heal the girls' minds. Elsewhere in the stadium, few are also awake, but weak from poisoning.

'Now then, my debt is settled.' Mukuro smiled.

'Debt?' Kurama swallowed audibly.

'Yeah...I owe Koenma hence, I'm here.' said Mukuro. 'That's two wins and one loss...better win this one, Yusuke-kun...' Mukuro smiled as he walked away to join his family.

'S-scary...' Yusuke gulped as up at the seats, he watched Mukuro's friends glomp him happily for his victory.

'Those pals of his must be just as terrible.' Kuwabara griped. 'They can easily laugh and joke around after that!'

/E-Everyone, we will have a small break as due to the fight, everyone around us has collapsed.../ the fox girl gasped out. /We will have a six hour break for everyone to fully recover to watch the Final Match!/ and she collapsed.

'...say whut?' Yusuke choked. 'Everyone around us is out cold!'

xxx

'Yare yare, you overdid it, Mukuro...' Giotto sighed as there was total...carnage around them in the form of poisoned youkai.

'Well, it HAS to be convincing...' Mukuro sighed as he moved so he can fall on his back, and on the laps of his siblings. 'I'm sleepy so I'll...sleep...' and he dozed off.

'Well, he made one heck of a scare...of course he'd be tired.' Hayato chuckled in amusement.

'Let him sleep.' Tsuna smiled while Giotto conjured a blanket on the boy. 'He's tired and using Reiki for the first time and then combining it with his flames must be taxing.'

With that, both Hiei and Mukuro slept a long while.

Some hours later...both woke up at the same time.

'Nice nap?' Tsuna smiled as Mukuro got up and stretched.

'Aa. I got a nice nap.'

'Good afternoon.' Giotto smiled as Tsuna handed him a bento. 'We already ate so its your turn to have lunch.'

'Thanks.' Mukuro eagerly opened the bento's lid and tore the chopsticks' paper wrapping before splitting it apart and dug in into his Unagidon Bento with Cherry Tomatoes. Unagi, particularly the best fatty kind, are in season in summer.

'After this, you kids and I have something to talk about.' said Giotto. 'Once this tournament is all over.'

'What are we gonna talk about, Primo?' Hayato asked him curiously.

Giotto smiled...

xxx

The fight between Toguro and Yusuke is long...and at first, Yusuke literally did not stand a chance through Toguro's many forms and sheer strength, many times he nearly died...and Genkai possessed a strange...penguin? eggy-looking blue goofy-looking bird...practically telling Toguro to kill one of Yusuke's friends as a motivation if he likes!

Toguro chose to kill Kuwabara, much to many shocks.

However...

'...he's still alive.' Hayato gulped. 'His flame of life didn't die out.'

'Indeed. Maybe he understood Genkai.' said Mukuro. 'And took to playing possum for THIS to happen.' he said as Kuwabara's 'death' awakened new powers in Yusuke...and he finally stood a chance, in the form of a last stand with a gigantic Rei Gun.

And then Toguro's body was torn to shreds after squeezing all that power into bursting out.

Then Sakyo has a last gag...that prompted Giotto to teleport out Team Urameshi and those 'allied' to Team Urameshi, along with his own group. They were all out instantly, far away and right in front of the hotel.

'How'd we get here?!' Chuu wondered aloud.

In front of the hotel, were the Urameshi Team, Botan, Shizuru, Keiko, Yukina and Atsuko, Team Ichigaki and their Master, Chuu, Rinku, Jin, Touya, Shishiwakamaru and Suzuki.

'...magic of course.' said Giotto with a smile. 'Now then kids, shall we go home?' and the mafia vanished.

'...they're gone now, just like ghosts.' said Kurama.

'Mukuro has fulfilled his job and they were only around for that.' said Koenma.

'Rokudo Mukuro...who IS he anyway?' Touya asked him. 'And how did you get the aid of such a terrifying man?'

'He is one of the three survivors of the cruel Child Experimentation in Italy in hopes to make him a Human Bioweapon by his own relatives no less.' said Koenma as he got incredulous stares for this. 'The one who killed them all was Sawada Tsunayoshi, the girl with Mukuro. She found and witnessed everything, and in anger, killed them all herself, saving three boys two years older than she...and she was eight years old at the time.'

'WHAT?!' the humans present gasped in shock.

'A child killed a bunch of adults?' Shizuru croaked out. 'If she's eight, then the boys she saved are around ten to eleven! How did she?!'

'She has the power to petrify and freeze with her flames by converting her power into highly-compressed negative energy which only applies to the latter.' said Koenma. 'And if her ghost ancestor is touching her, she becomes temporarily intangible, thus gunshots are no issue. It was how she did it. She was angry that adults of all people are torturing children as at the time, she wasn't exposed to such heinous crimes, been living with her ancestor for years, teaching her only good things in life at the time while training her to be his successor. And she took care of Mukuro for six months since when she found him, he was being experimented on and weak from exhausting himself from screaming along with the pain in his body.'

'The reason Mukuro owes me was because for him to gain the power his relatives wanted, he underwent a cruel process of immense torture in his body, mind and spirit that he describes it as undergoing hell six times and revived six times, with everything carved into his memories. As a result, he practically has six 'lives' in him with his own, and these six are horrifying, heinous personalities which he fights every single day until he made a deal...the power he gained from experimentation in exchange for a normal human body cleansed of the tamperings on him as he could barely fight them off not long ago...and it was to protect his adoptive siblings.' he explained. 'His price was to be Genkai's replacement in the final round.'

'Makes sense, since that guy could literally summon hell.' Rinku shivered.

'Er...not quite.' Koenma coughed. 'Mukuro is an Illusionist.' he said. 'He can control all five senses so you can see, hear, and feel what he wants you to, making your body respond to his will. And if you believe those illusions even just for one second...I'm pretty sure you've seen what happened to Toguro Ani.' he said wryly. 'Had Toguro Ani known that he's in an illusion, he wouldn't have burned to death and not torn apart.'

'All _that_ was just a dream?!' Yusuke shrieked in disbelief. 'Then, what of the migraines?!'

'That is a result of Illusionary Poisoning for inexperienced minds not used to illusion attacks.' said Koenma. 'Mukuro is powerful enough to seize the minds of the whole stadium just to make them watch what he'd do to Toguro Ani while basically screwing with everybody into wetting their pants.' he chuckled. 'He warned me of what happens to prolonged exposure. His siblings and the adult they were with have trained in order not to be affected by poisoning. Genkai knew of him and his power, and entrusted him with her place. She helped me train him because he planned on a large-scale attack combining reiki, a power he never had before and mixed it with his illusion powers. To sum it up, it was an experiment that worked well.'


	8. New life: Settling Down

New life: Settling Down

'Alright kids! I've been thinking since I fought Genkai.' said Giotto as all three children listened to him. 'I'll be sending you three...to school.'

'EHHHHHHH?!' all three of them freaked out.

'No buts kids.' Giotto tut-tutted. 'Let's have a shot at normal life, shall we?' he said as they groaned. 'Sore ni, having good records is also plus points and perfume to your names. I'll forge you perfect fake records so convincing not even top investigators will question it, that's what's magic for.' he told them with a grin. 'This summer, I'll roam around Tokyo for ahem, record reference for me to build up a background...then we will go to a new place.'

'Where?'

'Namimori...Tsuna's Birth Town.' Tsuna's eyes bulged as Hayato and Mukuro's heads quickly turned to their youngest member who stiffened. She, has a rather bad reaction to the name for reasons they've known for years. 'That's our next destination.'

'Grandpa...you sure?' Tsuna frowned. 'To them...I'm dead.' she said softly while clenching her fists. 'I'm a dead kid who they abandoned just so they won't see me die. My twin doesn't even know I exist, remember? Is it even worth going there?' Tsuna griped as Giotto took out his staff to reveal its been making signs.

'You're about to walk soon.' said Giotto. 'It showed me Namimori and the number 4. Today or tomorrow, we don't know.'

'...Oh.'

'For now we get ready then.' said Hayato. 'I've heard a lot about these incredibly long walks...and how far is Namimori from Tokyo?'

'Humm...on foot, it'll take us about two months since its way down southwest from here. While on plane it'll take a short while, six hours but the terrain on the way there...' said Giotto much to Mukuro's indignance.

'Hey! Tsuna walked SEVERAL months to get to me, I walked THREE months leading us to Hayato, its not fair he only puts up with two!' Mukuro complained in protest while pointing at Hayato who cackled.

'Its not my fault the location is near.' Hayato sneered in mocking satisfaction. Mukuro sported numerous annoyed tics on his head.

Mukuro could CLEARLY remember how LONG he walked. Those hellish days and hours are absolute murder he even walked with walking sticks on those months since unlike Tsuna, he wasn't used to long walks!

With their travel clothes and under invisibility, they began their journey for Namimori. Mukuro and Tsuna were somewhat used to it, Hayato clearly wasn't and the fact that their breaks are only bathroom breaks and sleeping was absolute murder really settled in their minds. As much as he wanted to complain, he was in no place to, considering...

And upon arrival in Namimori, Giotto took control of the whole town into believing that a family lived in where an abandoned house and lot used to be. It was rebuilt to be a big house where about ten people can live in it, with a gender-segregated bath. And he created a fake body for him to inhabit since he wanted to try out living again for a change. He created fake records for himself, and began working as a Teacher in Namimori Middle School as a Science Teacher 'at age 23' while the kids are still...

In Elementary, in Private School if only to keep Tsuna away from her brother who was in a public school, Namimori Elementary. Tsuna wasn't ready to even look at her twin yet. Giotto gave the scepter to Tsuna which he put in her soul as it was still a ghostly object, so she could still use it. He no longer needed it but they would.

'OK guys, grandpa entrusted the scepter to us.' said Tsuna. 'But there will come a future when we have to return it to Yuuko-san. That future will be when there are seven of us Sky Flame Users in this house, and graduated College before we join the Vongola Family. But until then, let's learn what we can. We know acrobatics, parkour, evasion, survival, camping, stealth, tracking and fighting skills but we know nothing about taking care of ourselves. We don't know how to cook, and household chores, and we can't rely forever on the scepter for instant food this time.' she told the boys. 'And since grandpa wanted a shot at living and he's now working from morning to sundown, he'll be hardly around from now on to take care of us. Let's go to the bookstore to buy some cookbooks after school.'

Needless to say, they started studying. And it starts with how to cook rice.

xxx

At a baseball sand lot...

Tsuna started walking around town around November when she met a boy practicing swings in the sandlot.

She knew that this boy, is hers. He also has great talent to boot.

She marked him and decided to pay him a secret visit at night. She continued roaming to see a black-haired boy leaving a traditional-looking house. He was hers too and marked him. That makes two.

And Giotto said there's four. FOUR in Namimori. Wouldn't that make seven of them soon?

Their journey ended here, in her hometown of all things.

Strangely, Namimori was never home to her. The wilderness was more her home, the wilderness of Italy.

She didn't like cities much. Noisy, polluted, nothing is free and one had to adhere to norms expected of you. Tsuna enjoyed a life of freedom where she could do as she wished and a life of adventure. The only thing Tsuna liked of cities, are trendy clothes, and soft hotel beds.

But now, her home would be Namimori for good as the rest of her famiglia is in this town. Not only that, her mother and twin brother too. Her father is in Italy as CEDEF.

December...

She met a white-haired boy with a bandage across his nose, and a patch on his still-bleeding brow being fussed over by a worried sister.

That makes three. But as she roamed the whole of Namimori, there's no fourth.

Did that mean they would travel again in the future for their final member...?

But for now...she paid them all a visit that January 1st...in the form of dreams with her showing them in the form of her sky flames.

Yamamoto Takeshi found himself on the mound of Koshien Stadium.

'T-this is?!' he gasped out as he looked around in awe.

**Do you like it? This place?** Takeshi looked around for the childishly girly voice and a ball of bright orange flames appeared before him. **This dream is also your wish...your goal. Koshien is beautiful isn't it?**

'Y-yeah...I want to be a real pro baseball player someday!' Takeshi burst out. 'To be the best...and being the best means getting the privilege to be here!' he cried passionately as he opened his arms as wide as he could.

**It'll take more than dreams and desire to be here...when you wake up, you'll know what it takes to be here...and you will like what I will leave you when you wake.**

In another dream, Sasagawa Ryohei is in the world's prestigious Boxing Arena.

'Ohhhh! This is extreme!' he burst out in delight.

**So this is your wish...to be the world's best boxer, aye?** Ryohei turned to see a ball of flames behind him. **To reach this place is no joke. You sure?**

'I'm extremely sure!' Ryohei cried passionately.

**But wasn't your sister worried about you not long ago?** Ryohei flinched as if struck. **Boxing...its a dangerous sport...especially if a foul-player hits you in a way you'll be forced to end your career for good...a good hit at the head can cause concussion or blindness if your head is struck hard enough. You'll also lose a few teeth...and even your life. Would you make your sister cry again if she sees such a future ahead of you?** Ryohei gasped at this. He didn't know that! **Very few boxers make it to the top and that, is out of luck combined with their skill. Boxing is your passion...but your fists are more valuable if you use it to protect those important to you. Family is more important than fame and glory...don't forget that.**

Hibari Kyoya dreamed of being the strongest fighter in the world.

He dreamed of himself as an adult, and scores of fighters around him, defeated.

**So this is your dream, to become the strongest. The strongest man in the world.**

Kyoya turned around to see a ball of flames. **You got quite a lot to do to reach your dream...what is your reason to get stronger?**

'...what's it to you?' Kyoya grunted, wary of the flames.

**Ohoo...you view yourself as a carnivore eh?** the flames spoke as Kyoya bristled. **What's so bad about being a herbivore?**

'Hn. They're weak and weaklings crowd together.' Kyoya huffed. 'I refuse to be weak.'

**Ohya, don't you know about socializing at all, my dear Kyoya? Humans socialize which is why they gather together. The need to get along and make friends because no one can do anything or survive alone. After all, you're still a child relying on your family for clean clothes, food, money and a roof above your head. Can you get life's necessities on your own? **the flames giggled as Kyoya twitched at that.

**I want you to observe your world and your peers. You are a human, not an animal. Therefore you cannot make such animalistic classifications.** she said. **And someday...your skills would be truly worth something if you find something worth fighting for...and only then will you discover what true strength is. I'll give you a little helping hand when you wake...but I do expect an answer from you someday.**

These three boys woke up the next day.

Takeshi woke up the next day with complete knowledge of Baseball, training for players, baseball techniques and the Yamamotos had a relative that sent them a Ball Machine complete with 100 balls, a baseball bat and glove.

Ryohei woke up with Professional Boxing Training knowledge, training equipment and Boxing Terminology much to his delight. And his family was baffled on who put all THAT in their son's room, AND saying they were gifts for him judging by what's on paper on each of everything! And then he told his family of the dream he had, believing he had been visited by a 'Boxing Deity'. The Sasagawas knew NOBODY will believe them and believed that everyone would deem them insane and kept this a secret...for how else will they explain the expensive-looking equipment in here?

Hibari Kyoya got training equipment that filled up his bedroom, and found a notebook on his lap. And all these weren't here the night before!

Tsuna never told her family what she just did. She chuckled. The future looks exciting already!

xxx

Mukuro is now in Middle School, with Giotto enrolling him in his workplace, Namimori Middle, leaving Tsuna and Hayato in Grade 5.

That year...a girl caught Tsuna's eye. A sweet-looking cute girl with blue hair and purple eyes who has the eyes of 'being lost' and a sense of not belonging anywhere. And the girl was destined for something big as well, which is why she also implanted certain knowledge and training regime in the girl's dreams for her to do at home...and encouraging her to keep her hair long.

Kishima Nagi whose mother Yunoki Kirie is a famous actress and a recently-deceased father but the mother apparently has a new boyfriend who works for a company and marriage arrangements are on the works. Both workaholics and both neglected Nagi as family and as parents, with the girl mostly raised by her father before his death when she was seven and the housekeeper who took to watching over Nagi was pretty distant, only doing her job but never once making an effort to care. It was no wonder she is the way she is and the only things her parents ever done for her, was sending her to school, buy her clothes and keeping the pantry full.

Nagi also doesn't care much for her mother because she never gave her a reason to. Feeling was pretty much mutual and Nagi believed she'd be all alone and no one would care for her forever and resigned herself to such a fate.

Tsuna wondered if she really is fated to meet kids with messed-up backgrounds. Two of her guardians is at least, normal with a normal family!

xxx

Nagi dreamed that she's in the busy streets, walking down the pedestrian lane. But the people around her are colored gray that they almost looked like moving statues. It frightened her. She even saw 'statues' of her parents talking together in a café.

**So this is what you believe? That you're all alone?** Nagi looked to see an adult version of herself in front of her...and she never dreamed she would be beautiful as an adult. The adult her has long straight hair, kind eyes with a warm smile, and dressed in a simple white dress with a pale indigo shawl, and white flats.

**Don't think so just because of how you grew up. Someday...you will meet people who will care for and love you...and now that you know the pain of loneliness and never being loved by your mother and stepfather, you know what to do and not to do should you become a parent. You wouldn't want your child to be lonely and miserable like yourself...use your family as an example, and do not become like them. Be a good adult, good woman and a good loving mother someday. You are a far better person...than you think you are.**

Nagi woke up with fighting, cooking, stealth, evasion, survival, parkour and acrobatic knowledge and training regimes in her mind the next day, and found various equipment in her room with a strong urge to get stronger.

She believed that the adult version of herself in her dream must be some angel. And she believed in the hope that someday, she too would be loved and have friends.


End file.
